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On January 11th, Tyler and Kyle celebrated the release of their album 3 Feet From Gold at The Rutledge with Red White Blue and The Lonely Hearts. Between acts, scenes from their DVD were projected by the stage. In the lobby, the CD and DVD combo was sold for a mere $5, “so all our friends could have one,” explained Kyle.
Garage rock revivalists Red White Blue got the party started with their unique blend of folk and experimental rock. The five-piece offered poignant lyrics like “you are the better that I am willing to weather” and “I drink cause I love you, and I drink to forget you” with a My Morning Jacket meets Kings of Leon vibe. In Nashville, you know a band is good if the crowd is quiet and listening to every word and every note – Red White Blue managed to capture us. All you could see was the band performing in spectacular fashion and confidence, while friends looked at other friends and mouthed compliments with smiles. All you could hear were music and the sounds of jaws dropping (followed by appreciative applause and woo-hoo’s, of course). I got the feeling that this was the first time most of us had heard or seen Red White Blue, but by judging the reactions and impressions, it won’t be the last.
The Lonely Hearts then raised the bar even higher. The Tom Petty aficionados, clad in black and blue denims with collared shirts, got the crowd moving with infectious tunes about winning and losing in love. By the second song, “You’re The Queen,” shoulders were swaying and chins were nodding with the hefty riffs. Their new one, “Nightingale” complete with the killer lyric “tell her it’ll be okay, she never f*cking listens anyway” earned cheers upon cheers. Closing with “Out of My Mind” the Hearts suffered a little distortion but that can only help give them rockabilly cred, and I think Will Holland’s legs are made of rubber – that boy could kick up a storm.
Then the energetic duo, Tyler Cain and Kyle Whalum, commandeered the stage with fellow instrumentalists Jenn Stone, Justin Meeks and Doug Collins, and about 30 fans packing in the stage front. Beginning with a shot in the air, Kyle toasts, “thanks for waiting over a year for this, cheers.” The funk fused southern indie pop rock began with “Time of Day” then “Want Love,” which was when the dancing began. A few songs later, Kyle introduced “Superbadd” as probably their first single off the album. Full-fledged body motion continued with “Healthy and Happy” featuring the Healthy and Happy Dancers. Taylor exhibited his harmonica skills on “Sunshine” then blew a few familiar notes and people swarmed to and onto the stage, as we recognized Petty’s “Mary Jane's Last Dance.” Any available instrument was picked up and plugged in, while folks sang along and raised burning lighters into the air.
Today it’s 37 degrees outside and raining, and I long for warmer weather so I could play 3 Feet From Gold while driving with the windows rolled down and the volume cranked up. Tyler and Kyle’s tunes are perfect for any social soundtrack. Your friends will ask,"Who is this?" followed by, "I like it." Recorded in Nashville and Memphis, the album coasts among gritty rhapsodies, earnest proverbs and love letters complete with an inside joke or two. It’s an eclectic, agile collection worthy of your attention. One track may remind you of The Oneder’s “That Thing You Do” and the next may recall the Allman Brothers, the Gin Blossoms or Ben Harper. The CD purchase includes a 45-minute DVD, an intimate look into their personal stories and anecdotes. Shot at locales such as the House of Blues Studio, Local Honey, and Kyle’s grandma’s living room, the disc includes live footage of a 3rd & Lindsley show with the Happy and Healthy Dancers.
Your next chance to see Tyler and Kyle will be on February 14th at The End.
Red White Blue and The Lonely Hearts will also be at The End on February 8th.
The end. - Indie Brat
Discography
upcoming full-length release "Three Feet From Gold" out in early January 2008
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Bio
You haven't heard anything quite like this before...
Chesapeake, Virginia native Tyler Cain (Sarah Buxton, Bering Strait, Ashley Monroe, Jordan Pruitt) and Los Angeles native Kyle Whalum (Sweet T, Stacie Orrico, Kirk Whalum, MuzikMafia) share similar, yet distinct, stories. Both have been playing music for most of their lives. Both attended high schools for the performing arts. Both attended Belmont University, where they first forged their musical partnership. And both have worked with some of the most respected musicians in Music City and beyond. But the unique sound of Tyler & Kyle lies in their diverse musical backgrounds. While both are skilled across virtually all genres, Tyler's background has more country and rock influences, which melt into Kyle's roots in soul, funk, and metal to form a sound that truly cannot be crammed into any particular stylistic box. And it is the duo's dichotomy of musical diversity that has helped Tyler & Kyle craft tunes that have turned the Nashville independent music scene on its collective ear.
Tyler & Kyle are currently completing production on their upcoming, self-produced full-length album, "Three Feet from Gold," which will be released with an accompanying 45-minute DVD. "Three Feet from Gold" promises to not only be stylistically diverse, but also rife with honesty and relevant subject matter. Consider the paradox of "Life is a Rhythm," with its driving, happy music, but sobering lyrical content, all the while filled with tight harmonies and addictive guitar hooks. Some of the duo's jazz influences surface on "What's Left of Me," a strikingly relatable and catchy song about being on the receiving end of a relationship's demise. On "Healthy & Happy," the listener may be surprised to encounter some of the better elements of early southern rock, beginning with the first downbeat, not to mention harmonies that suggest a conflagration of the British Invasion and '60s California rock. And the list goes on… While the listener's ears will surely be entertained by the diverse music and the duo's enviable chops, it is the honesty of the music, the openness of the lyrics, and the sincerity of the art that shine through most brightly and keep the listener coming back.
Aside from their music – which speaks for itself – Tyler & Kyle have also carved out a niche with their high-energy live shows, which feel more like a party than a mere performance, since you never quite know what's going to happen…you just know you're going to be entertained. And to push themselves even farther outside the proverbial box, "Tyler & Kyle TV" will be making its YouTube debut in the spring of 2008.
With their unique songs, unflinching honesty, and outside-the-box thinking, Tyler & Kyle simply aren't like anybody else. Find out for yourself why they're being called the New Sound of Nashville.
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